Moral blackmail

Yes - I had a chap here one night last summer trying to get me to sign up to GOS. I declined, saying I preferred to donate to local causes and others like Sense and SmileTrain. He actually suggested that I could easily add GOS to my list and was, in a way, quite passive aggressive. I held out with ‘sorry no’ and I wondered if he was on a commission for every one he could sign up.

I wonder how effective this is overall, yes the charities will be able to judge how many donations they get per number of door knocks, but there is no way of knowing how many people are put off from ever donating to the cause because of these tactics.

I agree MOnica and don't think that established charities should be doing this, often relying on finding older people at home during the day. Hmm.

On the other hand I find it hard to wave away the men with huge backpacks selling dusters etc who are really down on their luck it seems to me. Those schemes are exploitative and I usu give the man a tenner (shutting the door while I go for my bag).

We had the same a few months ago. Late at night, when it was dark, men knocking on doors in our village asking for donations to Great Ormond Street. I emailed their fundraising team who outsource this to other companies. They agreed that late calls should not be occurring. It was unusual enough in our area for warnings given to neighbours on the local social media.

I was stopped in the street this morning by a man who blocked my way and asked if I would sign up to a charity that I'd never heard of.
I told him I have some regular payments to charities and couldn't take on any more.
He was fine about my refusal but I felt bad for not taking on yet another charity. I don't want to feel like that when I am doing my shopping.

winterwhite

I agree MOnica and don't think that established charities should be doing this, often relying on finding older people at home during the day. Hmm.

On the other hand I find it hard to wave away the men with huge backpacks selling dusters etc who are really down on their luck it seems to me. Those schemes are exploitative and I usu give the man a tenner (shutting the door while I go for my bag).

Beware of the Nottingham Knockers, winterwhite

www.oprepeat.co.uk/nottingham-knockers/

Although I must say some old-fashioned oven gloves I bought from one of these salesmen many years ago (before I knew about this) lasted for about 15 years.

I say that we already donate to the charities we wish to, thank you and good night.

AGAA4

I was stopped in the street this morning by a man who blocked my way and asked if I would sign up to a charity that I'd never heard of.
I told him I have some regular payments to charities and couldn't take on any more.
He was fine about my refusal but I felt bad for not taking on yet another charity. I don't want to feel like that when I am doing my shopping.

I was stopped in the street by a very persistent young man trying to get me to sign up for Save the Children. When I said I donated to two children's charities already he dismissed them as rubbish.

It's always difficult to say no to people who want you to sign up to make monthly donations. If they'd accept one-off donations too, I'd happily give something.

Allira I would have given a one off donation but I don't want any more direct debits.
I wonder how much money charities are missing out on by not accepting an on the spot donation?

I think GOS must be having a collecting purge at the moment, they were outside our small co-op all week last week.

We nicknamed them the smiling assassins very pushy and preying on the more elderly people.

AGAA4

Allira I would have given a one off donation but I don't want any more direct debits.
I wonder how much money charities are missing out on by not accepting an on the spot donation?

My friend used to make a monthly donation to the Red Cross, then they rang her up and suggested she increase it to £50 pm.

The man was so persistent and quite aggressive that she cancelled her direct debit altogether.

There are very few collection boxes for cash, emails are sent to spam folders, post is considered junk mail, adverts on TV are rarely seen so what else is there?

It must work to some extent or they would not use this way of collecting.

We had GOS at the door recently too. I would happily give a one-off donation, but they can never accept it, which I find very strange and annoying.
The same applies to the Air Ambulance who frequently lurk outside a local M&S football.
I’m usually wearing my charity polo shirt advertising the organisation that I work for, and they tend to leave me alone.

Food hall not football!

Our town no longer gets the chuggers in it and hasn’t for some time, nor have I had anyone knock at the door for charity for many years I do not like this very overt way of making people feel guilty
I also don’t like the envelopes with silly sticky address labels and things in

We had someone knocking on the door the other day on behalf of one of the charities we support. I was a bit disappointed about this, as I don’t like people being mugged on their own doorstep, which is what it sometimes feels like. It’s a great charity, but they did go through a phase of ringing every few weeks, “to update us on how our donation was being spent” and to ask us to increase it. In the end I said if they rang again I’d cancel the direct debit. To their credit we’ve only had the occasional posted “update” since then. I do feel that pushy tactics might lose charities donations rather than bringing in more.

I was going to book a restaurant for lunch tomorrow but saw that money was automatically added to your bill for a chosen charity, you had to opt out not in!

Charity donations should be voluntary, I am sick of being asked at checkout to donate.

Like Monica we support various charities and I find it increasingly hard to say no but I draw the line at money automatically being added to my bill.

Galaxy

I wonder how effective this is overall, yes the charities will be able to judge how many donations they get per number of door knocks, but there is no way of knowing how many people are put off from ever donating to the cause because of these tactics.

... but there is no way of knowing how many people are put off from ever donating to the cause because of these tactics.

Good point Galaxy.

Judging by the responses so far, they might be shooting themselves in the foot. But, as you say, there's no way of calculating how many donors they might be losing.

I don't like being 'mugged' on my own doorstep but even so might be tempted to make a one-off donation via my bank card (I understand why they don't accept cash) - but to sign up to direct debits? Absolutely not.

In effect, you are being asked to make a sudden and unexpected decision about your expenditure, so many people are having to be careful with their finances and cannot (and will not) make that commitment on the spur of the moment.

Some years ago, I had a similar experience, except that these young people arrived on my doorstep after 9pm . I complained to the charity for which they were collecting . They replied that they were not responsible for employing these collectors. Fund raising was carried out by a company who then took on young people, often unemployed, to do the door-knocking. They confirmed that no collector was permitted to work after 9pm, though I felt that this was too late, if it involved disturbing people, especially older people, during the hours of darkness. I wasn't inclined to absolve the charity!

In the past I have said: "Thank you for flagging up this worthwhile charity. I will go onto their website later and consider making a one-off donation."

Does not necessarily mean I actually did it ................ is there a guilt emoji?

I am fed up with “chuggers” touting charities in the street. Im fed up too being asked at checkouts. Today for example it was requested at the fuel station, the chemist!, go outdoors and our Lidl started this week. Poor checkout staff. Yes I donate to local charities not huge business - my money so I will chose a local cause.

It annoys me if you make a large one-off donation online to a charity for eg a funeral then find the charity keeps sending you freebies, presumably in the hope you might make a regular donation.

Perhaps they think it's worthwhile, otherwise what a waste of charity money and resources.

Luckygirl3

In the past I have said: "Thank you for flagging up this worthwhile charity. I will go onto their website later and consider making a one-off donation."

Does not necessarily mean I actually did it ................ is there a guilt emoji?

🥴or 😳 maybe?

Am always asked at the till in Superdrug but I just say no.We all have chosen charities that we give willingly to without being mugged at tills or the doorstep or outside shops.